Need some help

jcc64 wrote: Ok, guys, as many of you know, I am a textile designer. I design graphic artwork to be applied to all sorts of decorative fabric surfaces- upholstery, drapery, linens, etc.. In the past, we only sold to the trade- that is- to other designers, furniture manufacturers, etc... Now, our company is starting to sell fabric in retail settings- like JoAnn Fabrics, Hancock Fabrics, etc... This is a new way of working for us, and I need to do some market research that I'm hoping you all can help me with.
I am hoping to get a broad idea of what's currently appealing to normal American consumers when it comes to decorating their homes, particularly living rooms and/or bedrooms. It would be enormously helpful to me if you could post a picture or two of your living room or bedroom- in the area(s) with the most upholstery or fabric (like the sofa or master bed). In addition, could you answer a few questions for me, if you are so inclined?
Much appreciation in advance!

Where do you live?

What is your occupation?

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what?

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc...

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods?

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc...

jcc64 replied: Ok, if posting a pic is too much work, would you mind answering the questions, at least?
Thanks again!

cameragirl21 replied: ok, here are my pics....
here is my living room couch pattern


and here is my bedroom pattern for my bedspread and curtains that i have yet to put up


and here is my shower curtain, i have the whole Laura Ashley thing going in my bathroom.

as to the questions,
i live in Miami, FL. i am a professional photographer. no, i don't sew, lol, that will be the day . people who know me describe my style as exotic--bamboo, orchids, plants and candles everywhere, i like a tropical, comfortable yet contemporary theme. as for colors, i like red, green, purple, and black, but not necessarily all together. as for patterns, obviously i like florals but not cheesy quaint florals that are trite, i like patterns that make you feel like you're in the middle of an exotic garden or something to that effect.
hth.
eta--that couch is not what i'd buy today...today i'd buy a deep red (or purple or maybe even blue even though i'm not big on blue) velvet set. that i bought a few years back and will change it when i buy a bigger place.

MyBrownEyedBoy replied: Where do you live? Southeast Idaho, population approx 60,000, surrounded by farming communities

What is your occupation? Clinical Lab Scientist

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? Yes, basic things like curtains.

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... Traditional with some contemporary ideas.

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Neutrals like cream, beige, muted blues.

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... I prefer small stripes to plaids. I hate dots. I like larger florals better than small ones.

I'd post pictures, but I haven't got too many at work. I'll see what i can find. HTH. Also, I don't like too much of my furniture. Most of it's old and tattered. I want new stuff. Probably solids rather than the prints that I have now.

This is the bed spread on the futon down in the den. Don't mind Aaron's hands playing video or Logan sleeping.

This is my quilt in my room my grandma made it. It's small florals mostly, but all put together, you really don't notice because your eye is drawn to the stitching and the overall pattern. I LOVE this quilt.

This one you can see part of my ancient couch and the carpet I hate.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: You can see my bedspread in this one..... it's always on my bed, but it's now covered by a tan Greek embroidered coverlet.

I have a fairly modern decor style... I like contemporary.

Hillbilly Housewife replied: I'll post more later

jcc64 replied: Thanks, guys! From what I've seen, that red in Jen's bedspread is still very popular- every pattern we put out in that color seems to sell well. The other color that seems to have captured and held people's imaginations for a long time now is sage green. Anything else?

Our Lil' Family replied: Where do you live? Baton Rouge, LA

What is your occupation? SAHM

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? I can barely sew a button, much less anything else.

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... Traditional

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Neutrals (tan, brown, ivory) w/some color as accents (greens, deep purples and reds).

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... I love stripes and plaids. I like some floral but not much.

Cece00 replied: Where do you live?
Louisiana, one of the cities (I believe we one of the larger cities- the 4th probably) population about 250k ppl

What is your occupation? I'm mostly a SAMH and I do work PT at home- mortgage loan processing

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? Occasionally- things like curtains, pillows, things for my kids

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc...
Probably bordering very traditional with a little contemporary thrown in...I'm not really into country, retro...stuff like that.

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Neutrals, with splashes of color, but mostly very very neutral

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc...
I like solids a lot, but when I pick patterns, I'd probably pick stripes, small ones. I really am not fond of most florals OR most tropical patterns (even though I love the beach). I sometimes like plaids, I like some dots...

I posted some pics of my house yesterday but I'll do it again...








This is my bedroom, obviously we dont have all our furniture it in yet




This is going to be a playroom once we get it cleaned out



ETA pics of my bedspread

amymom replied: Where do you live?Upstate NY

What is your occupation? I just realized I do not have a title. I do computer input, and assist my boss in running his three businesses

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? No

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... Traditional

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Greens, Emerald and or sage light green

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc...
small designs or solids

I do not have any pictures. Also all soft goods in my house were chosen by my MIL whose tastes do not match mine at all. Except for my bed. On my bed I have a white bedspread that my parents had. And I use a comfortor that has sage colored stripes on one side and flower pots beehives on the other. I believe it is a Pfaltzgraft pattern. I will see if I can find it.

edited to add the pattern is called Naturewood. But I could not find a picture of the comfortor / sheet set that we use. But it does incorporate that sage color you were talking about.

Our Lil' Family replied: Ok, here are the pics I just took. You can kind of see that the sofa is a weave of some type...I'm sure there is a more technical term for it. I fell in love with the pillows which is what sold me on the pieces.
Sofa


Closer of sofa cushion


Here is my bed, please excuse, I made it quickly this morning. It's Croscill brand and I have yet to find something I love as much as this. It's held up so well in the 6 years we've had it, WELL worth the money paid.

Boo&BugsMom replied: Where do you live? Wisconsin

What is your occupation? Childcare Owner

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? Sew? What's that?

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... Rustic/contemporary...I think.

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Burgundy's, taupes/neutral's, green's, and purple

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... Solid's, stripes, and some plaids. Nothing too floral or southwestern.

Most of our patterns are in my slide show of my siggie.

redchief replied: Jeanne, sorry we don't have any pictures for you. Our decor can best be described at this time as "Flea Market Overstock." If we had a couple more months we might be more help. Of course if things go well for you we might wind up with a few of your designs in our finished home! Anyway, my answers follow - I hope they're helpful.

Where do you live? Southern NJ; island resort town

What is your occupation? Too many hats: Fire Inspector, EMT-B, Plumber, Fire Service Instructor.

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? No.

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... I'd say traditional.

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Light Browns, greens and blues

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... Stripes and plaids (limited plaids)

Jamison'smama replied: Where do you live? Ohio

What is your occupation? Social Worker/Therapist

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? No

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... More on the traditional side although I have several antiques...maybe a bit eclectic

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Red, denim blues and taupe

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... Not floral unless it is a Shabby Chic type of print in a guestroom. Some stripes, I like solids with texture.

Here is my couch. It is denim but the pillows are not.

Jamison'smama replied: Here's the master bedroom quilt (Jack is in the bed right now)

kit_kats_mom replied: Ohhh. You mean I could have a little piece of Jeanne right in my own home.

I love the deep chocolate brown with cool greens or blues and simple graphic designs. Transitional is how I'd describe our look.

Where do you live? Florida
What is your occupation? database manager/SAHM
Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? I try but it usually ends up being a disaster so I just buy ready made stuff rather than waste perfectly innocent fabric.
How would you describe your style inclinations- trasitional. I'm drawn to Modern design but it's a bit too stark for me as a whole "style".
What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Dark colors with lighter accents
What types of patterns appeal most to you- circles, graphics, stripes. Nothing too frou frou. I like florals if they are very basic. Laura Ashley designs make me want to hurl.

jcc64 replied: You guys- this is enormously helpful to me. Thank you for taking the time. When I get some sketches together, I'll run them by you before presenting to my client.

Thanks again!

luvmykids replied: Where do you live? NM

What is your occupation? WAHM (office manager)

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? No but I do have my mom do it so I'm still a consumer

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc...Ecclectic. I like mixing rustic and weathered with florals and plaids with antique laces. Not chabby chic, more like Western chic LOL

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Neutrals with shots of colors; greens, reds, turquoises, oranges. I really love as someone else mentioned the chocolate browns with pastels like lavendar or light blue. I love combinations like a china blue with red and yellow or a deep gold with red and green.

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... If I were to only pick one I would say plaids but I like them all.

I don't have pics but in the living room the couch is leather with an imitation Navajo rug (can't afford a real one yet). Lace sheers. Bedroom I may have to post a pic of my bed and have you help me with it, the headboard is a little goth looking so I haven't been able to figure out what to do on the bedding.

grapfruit replied: Where do you live? Small town Ohio

What is your occupation? Insurance Agent

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? HA! No way! But I DID re-upholster my dining room chairs!

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... probably clean and modern. I don't know. I like minimal decorations, a few nice photographs or prints, NO knick nacks, solid colors, bold colors too...

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? My couch and chairs are tan, the couch is suede and the chairs are kind of like corduroy, but not quite.

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... NOT into florals, or really even patterns in general...I really like solids I guess, I think strips are ok in accents (like pillows or something) I do like texture (like strips in the same color but raised...) I'll post pictures of my couch and chairs later...

grapfruit replied:
I like!

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: Where do you live? Colorado Springs, CO

What is your occupation? SAHM

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? Gosh no, but I would love to learn.

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... Contemporary but classic.

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Natural colors. Warm hues like taupe, reds and chocolate, but I also love the soft blue in my bedroom (with chocolate accents). I also just like WHITE, clean and crisp.

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... Mostly solids in my house. I like floral patterns if they are the same color as the background, so more as a texture. Same goes with stripes, although something that is taupe with accents of chocolate or red stripes appeals to me. Plaid is not really my style.

Jeanne, do you know the designs of William Morris? That's my all time favorite textile design!!! I would love to see that reproduced somehow, but maybe change it up to me a little more "today". When it comes to floral, that's the only way I would go!!

Maddie&EthansMom replied:
Where do you live? Dallas, TX

What is your occupation? SAHM

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? Yes, I sew baby bedding, curtains, pretty much anything...but, I don't have the machine to upholster.

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc? Traditional, I guess Like Brenda, it's probably more eclectic

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? Neutrals

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc.? Mostly solids with different textures...silk, velvet, chenille, etc

Maddie&EthansMom replied: Can I just say that I"m THRILLED that you will be selling your designs to JoAnn!!! I can't wait to see what you come up with!

DansMom replied: Where do you live? Ann Arbor, Michigan.

What is your occupation? Copy editor/manager, math publishing.

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? No. I did select and staple some fabric over the seats of my kitchen chairs.

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... Contemporary, linear, spare, and low profile. (The style I achieve is eclectic, but my inclinations are toward Danish teak furniture, for example.)

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods?
chocolate and ivory.

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc...
I prefer linear patterns.

redplaydoh replied: Can I contribute even if I'm an American living in Switzerland???

CantWait replied: Where do you live? Well when it comes to taste I don't think Canada is any different then America so here's my two cents. New Brunswick, Canada

What is your occupation? SAHM, dh is in the military

Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what? HA, you got to be kidding, no way.

How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc... I think like primative, rustic country with a touch of modern, anything relaxing. Not a fancy sort of person at all.

What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods? I like tans, and neutral colours, but I also like reds

What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc... DON'T like florals AT ALL. Don't care much for plaids, I'm pretty simple, and like simple to no pattern what so ever.

Here's our couch upstairs.....Really I would like a microfibre, but this is what we settled on.


Here's our couch downstairs....


Our bedding, which I absolutely LOVE, it's the softest most comfortable blanket. love the look because it makes me feel as if I'm in the woods or the tropics or something like that.

Our shower curtain, and the only floral thing I really like. I got it because it matched the bathroom when we moved in which is purple and I actually liked.

My3LilMonkeys replied: Where do you live?
A small town in Northeast PA
What is your occupation?
Payroll/Financial Specialist
Do you sew any items for use in the home, and if so, what?
Yes - curtains and pillows mostly
How would you describe your style inclinations- traditional, contemporary, country, etc...
More contemporary/modern, but I LOVE old fashioned quilts.
What colors are most appealing to you when decorating your home with soft goods?
I like bold jewel toned accents- reds, purples, turquoise, etc. - on a neutral background
What types of patterns appeal most to you- stripes, plaids, florals, etc...
I prefer solid colors over anything else, but stripes and some plaids are OK.

jcc64 replied: Thanks again to all of you who contributed to this post. While most of my customers are US based, i am still interested in hearing what people outside the US have to say about this as well.

cameragirl21 replied: i meant to tell you, Jeanne, that even though i don't sew i do buy stuff from fabric stores often because i use them for pictures. i typically buy about 2 yards at a time...i can show you a sample pic so you can see what i mean.